The 26 Best Podcasts for Kids
With an incredible variety of creative topics, themes and genres, these podcasts for kids are the perfect way to keep your child engaged and entertained while at home! Listen to Julie Andrews read children’s books, cook with the Mystery Recipe Podcast’s mystery cook-along and learn the answers to big science questions with NPR’s Wow in the World! With episodes that inspire through music-making, storytelling, research, creativity and more, there’s sure to be the perfect podcast for every young listener.
Psst… if you’re looking for more family quarantine activities, check out our article 15 Fun and Easy Science Experiments Kids Can Do at Home!
Story Podcasts
Beloved performer Julie Andrews teams up with her daughter, children’s author Emma Walton Hamilton, to read you their favorite kids’ books in a new episode every week! The American Public Media podcast will include sound, music and activities with each new story. During this extraordinary time, Julie’s Library hopes to “provide family listening pleasure, inspire meaningful conversations, and be a trusted resource for literary enjoyment and learning,” starting with Marylin’s Monster, Bears Don’t Eat Egg Sandwiches and The Wolf, the Duck, and The Mouse.
Rather than simply sharing stories, the Story Seeds podcast takes things one step further and shows how stories are made! In each episode, one kid from ages 6 to 12 will be paired with a children’s book author. Listen as they first brainstorm and then make their way through the writing process until finally, at the end of every episode, there’s a read-aloud with the author and their brand new story! Each episode is about a half-hour long and is full of creativity.
The Girl Tales podcast offers “feminist fairy tales for a new generation.” No damsels in distress here! Each episode lasts about 20 minutes and is brought to life with energetic voice actors and professional sound design. New stories debut every month, with the most recent being “M of the Mist,” “Amena Appleseed” and “Elisa and the Swans.”
Targeted for ages 4 to 10, Circle Round’s 10 to 20-minute episodes tell folktales from around the world through immersive radio plays. Each episode explores valuable themes like kindness and persistence, and each episode ends with a fun activity to prompt conversation between you and your child. Actor Chris Sullivan is featured in the most recent episode, “Chef Know-It-All,” a Hawaiian story about an egotistical, boastful cook.
With a crew of world-class actors, comedians and musicians, Story Pirates takes original stories from real kids and turns them into wild, imaginative audio adventures, each about 30 minutes in length! Kids of all ages are encouraged to submit their very own original stories on the Story Pirates website and hear their work brought to life as sketch comedy or musical theater.
For every episode of the What If World podcast, Mr. Eric turns a listener’s “What if?” question into a wacky and exciting story! With the help of goofy characters Abacus P Grumbler, Randall Radbot and Whendiana Joan, Mr. Eric’s 15 to 20-minute stories will explore what might happen… if a tiny dragon lived in your closet, if there was a never-ending bowl of ice cream or if cats ruled the world. Your child can call in for the chance to have their own question featured on the show.
Story Time offers audio short stories for children ages 2 to 13. Each episode is less than 20 minutes long, the perfect length to keep your young listener engaged. These stories are especially great for car rides or before-bed listening.
Scripted Series Podcasts
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
Targeted for ages 5 to 10, this serialized science-fiction podcast is perfect for fans of Scooby-Doo or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With over 100 half-hour episodes, your child will become immersed in the story of Finn Caspain, an 8-year-old boy aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. With his friends Abigail, Elias and Vale, Finn explores uncharted space, solves mysteries, and helps the occasional alien along the way.
This 50-episode, imaginative, science-themed audio drama for kids was created by Aaron when he was just 6 years old, and by the time it reached its final episodes, he was only 11! Aaron’s World tells of the time-traveling adventures of a boy and his trusty computer companion as they explore the world in the time of dinosaurs; you’re sure to learn something new along the way!
The Tara Tremendous series is an immersive scripted podcast with nearly 50 episodes so far! Follow 11-year-old Tara Callahan as she navigates her new life after accidentally acquiring the powers of every superhero in the world. With a cast of over 50 performers and loads of mystery, action and adventure, the musically-infused series will entertain the whole family.
Interactive Podcasts
Have fun getting excited about cooking and eating with these 20-minute episodes about the fantastical sides of food with America’s Test Kitchen Kids. Each episode focuses on one ingredient and finishes with a mystery recipe cook-along! Mystery Recipe Podcast has 26 “silly and unexpectedly educational” episodes out now; the latest of which are titled “Starch of the Penguins” and “Carb Your Enthusiasm.”
The Music Box, hosted by music educator Faith Murphy, is an interactive podcast that teaches lessons on musical objectives for young learners. Through performing, responding and connecting, kids are encouraged to make music and explore fundamental concepts! The 10-minute episodes can be further supplemented with printable lesson plans on the Music Box website.
Geared toward kids ages 3 to 9, the Noodle Loaf podcast is full of singing, dancing and play! Led by a music education specialist and his goofball kids, each Noodle Loaf episode encourages your family to join in for 10 minutes of creative fun.
In this family-friendly debate show, debaters use facts and passion to make their case: Cats or dogs? Pizza or Tacos? The fun and silly competitions will teach young listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way! In two of the podcast’s recent 40-minute episodes, participants debate about Sharks versus Skunks and Chocolate versus Cheese. On the Smash Boom Best website, you can download score sheets to fill out as the episodes progress or submit your own debate opinions and ideas!
Educational Podcasts
Join curious Canadian 11-year-old Tai Poole as he asks life’s biggest questions. In his award-winning podcast, Tai searches for answers through conversations with professors and experts, with psychologists and astrophysicists — even with his little brother! To give you a taste of the types of questions Tai braves, the latest of his 20 to 30-minute podcasts are titled “This is why songs get stuck in your head — even when you don’t like them” and “Why the night sky is so dark — even when it’s full of stars.”
With the help of real-life scientists, hosts Lindsay and Marshal lead Tumble’s 15 to 20-minute episodes and teach kids about science through stories about scientific discoveries and mysteries. Recent podcast episodes covered “The Tale of the Interstellar Visitor,” “Answering Kids’ Coronavirus Questions” and “The Science of Smell.”
Brains On! is American Public Media’s science podcast for curious kids. Hosted by kid scientists and public radio reporters, the podcast asks questions about the world and “goes wherever the answers take us!” Some of the most recent 30 to 40-minute episodes are titled “Thinking Ink: the Scoop on this Colorful Stuff,” “Can You Dig to the Center of the Earth?” and “Joy Overload! The Science of Tickles and Cuteness.”
NPR’s kid science podcast, Wow in the World!, explores the wonders of the world around us. Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz will bring you and your child along to “go inside our brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology. Two recent 10-minute episodes are titled “I Have a Need for Trees” and “The Stars of Space.”
This podcast shares bite-sized, inspiring true stories from history about the incredible achievements of all types of people. The Past and the Curious is for anyone who loves a great story. Made for curious children, parents and teachers, the podcasts’ creators believe “stories from our collective past have the power to transform people today.” Listen to their newest episodes about hands, bears and basketballs!
Created by four veteran broadcast journalists, KidNuz offers five-minute episodes of nonpartisan and age-appropriate current events, top stories, politics, science, entertainment, sports and more to engage the next generation of learners. KidNuz’s goal is to inform without fear and educate without opinion, because “kids are curious, the world is fascinating and knowledge is power!”
In Ear Snacks’ 15 to 30-minute, family-friendly episodes, Andrew, Polly and their friends chat about music, science, art and culture. Through award-winning music and conversation, young listeners will learn about all facets of the world. For example, Ear Snacks’ three most recent episodes cover joy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the number Pi.
But Why is a podcast produced by Vermont Public Radio and led by its kid listeners! It encourages kids to submit their questions about big and small topics like space, words and natur — even about the end of the world! During the COVID-19 crisis, But Why is hosting live shows every Friday at 1 pm Eastern Time. On Friday, May 15, the show invites Poetry Guy Ted Scheu to answer questions about poetry. On Friday, May 22, you’ll have the chance to listen to NASA’s Chief Scientist, Jim Green, answer questions about space exploration!
Inspiring Podcasts
Best Day Yet: Positive Thinking for Kids
Elementary librarian and author Marjorie Stordeur believes that before kids can learn to be kind to others, they must first learn to be kind to themselves. Best Day Yet releases 5 to 15-minute weekly episodes wherein Marjorie and her two kids will guide listeners on “affirmative adventures.” The show teaches skills that will be helpful for all kids, like positive self-talk, but it’s especially impactful for kids who might struggle with anxiety or self-doubt.
In The Dream Big Podcast, fifth-grader Eva and her mom Olga interview world-class performers like Kobe Bryant and Mel Robbins to inspire young kids to pursue their passions and dream big! Other times, they share encouraging stories and simply chat about life. Young listeners will stay inspired through Dream Big’s over 200 episodes; at 20 to 30 minutes each, they’re the perfect length to keep your kids engaged and encouraged.
Listen to Pavlos, Angela and their dad Nick talk about all sorts of things in this kids and family podcast; learn about great ways to build parent-child connections along the way. Five Minutes With Dad has produced nearly 150 episodes so far! With episodes like “Six Ways to Have Fun This Spring,” “Setting Priorities for Kids and Family” and “Making the Best out of New Experiences,” these encouraging podcasts, made for kids, by kids, will give the family something new to look forward to every week.
Peace Out is perfect for parents who want to teach their kids mindfulness and self-regulation. Peace Out’s 20-minute relaxation stories will help young listeners learn skills to calm down and relax, skills like visualization and breathing exercises. Their 5-minute “Time to Pause” episodes are perfect for those much-needed moments of calm throughout the day.
